Emergency medicine Australasia : EMA
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Emerg Med Australas · Jun 2015
Asia, Australia and New Zealand Dyspnoea in Emergency Departments (AANZDEM) study: Rationale, design and analysis.
Shortness of breath is a common reason for ED attendance. This international study aims to describe the epidemiology of dyspnoea presenting to EDs in the South East Asia-Pacific region, to compare disease patterns across regions, to understand how conditions are investigated and treated, and to assess quality of care. ⋯ This novel study will explore dyspnoea from the viewpoint of the patient's symptom (shortness of breath) rather than that of a single disease. The results will provide robust data about the epidemiology, investigation, treatment and disposition of this diverse patient group. The obtained data also have the potential to inform service planning and to quantify the proportion of patients with mixed cardiac and respiratory disease.
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Emerg Med Australas · Jun 2015
Impact of clinical pharmacists in the emergency department of an Australian public hospital: A before and after study.
To evaluate the impact of an ED pharmacy service on ED clinical staff and hospital pharmacist activity. ⋯ Pharmacy staff can rapidly become a vital component of clinical service provision in the ED, contributing to medication safety from the point of patient entry into the hospital and impacting ED clinicians and whole of hospital activity for pharmacists.
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Emerg Med Australas · Jun 2015
Growth in Western Australian emergency department demand during 2007-2013 is due to people with urgent and complex care needs.
To determine the magnitude and characteristics of the increase in ED demand in Western Australia (WA) from 2007 to 2013. ⋯ Our study reveals a 4.6% annual increase in ED demand in WA in 2007-2013, mostly because of an increase in people with urgent and complex care needs, and not a shift (demand transfer) from primary care. This indicates that a system-wide integrated approach is required for demand management.
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Emerg Med Australas · Jun 2015
INITIAT-E.D.: Impact of timing of INITIation of Antibiotic Therapy on mortality of patients presenting to an Emergency Department with sepsis.
To analyse the association between time from triage to administration of initial antibiotics and mortality in all patients presenting with sepsis to a tertiary hospital ED. ⋯ Early administration of antibiotics specifically in patients with severe sepsis might be beneficial. Further studies within the ED are warranted to establish the effect of delayed antibiotics in a generalised sepsis cohort.